PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : They Would Like to Score Points in Japan

The Japanese still don’t understand much about American football, but they do know what they like: touchdowns.

Unfortunately, the first two American Bowls in Tokyo haven’t produced many. In 1989, the Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 16-13, in overtime. Last year, the Denver Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks, 10-7.

Saturday, it will be the Raiders and the Miami Dolphins at the Tokyo Dome. Bad news for the Japanese, though. Last week, the Dolphins were shut out in their exhibition opener by the Chicago Bears, 6-0. It ended a streak of 92 exhibition games in which the Dolphins scored.

Raider Coach Art Shell, at 6 feet 5 and 285 pounds, is nothing compared to some of Japan’s most famous sumo wrestlers. The largest is a Hawaiian named Salevaa Fuauli Atisanoe, who weights 525 pounds. That’s about 200 pounds heavier than the largest Raider, offensive lineman Todd Peat.

“We consider our players to be gladiators, like your sumo wrestlers,” Shell said to Japanese reporters. “In fact, we have thought about hiring a few of those wrestlers for our defensive line.”